


MakeDamnSure

by Blueyedgurl



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Beastars AU, F/M, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Kylo Ren, Soft Kylo Ren, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 11:21:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24848953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueyedgurl/pseuds/Blueyedgurl
Summary: Beastars AUKylo, a wolf, is confronted with his basic animal urges while Rey, a rabbit, is just trying to survive.  Will they be able to forge a friendship or will animal natures tear them apart.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	1. Air

**Author's Note:**

> Apathy falls in the ocean  
> at least we went down fighting  
> at the bottom of the ocean  
> this scenery fails calm  
> up till now been riding fine  
> Air by Sparta

Kylo walked through the dark courtyard. It was poorly lit, but he could still see through the night well. It was a hot night for this early in spring. He could hear the fountain, the bugs flitting through the air, the rustle of the leaves in the wind. It all made his ears twitch. His nose was on overdrive too. The smell of early lilacs and hyacinths, the smell of the hot brick and concrete, and of freshly cut grass.

Later he would realize that he got a bit lost in the sensations around him. That he wasn’t really very well focused when he caught her scent. The smell of fresh earth and petrichor. It immediately caught his attention and it wasn’t until he noticed the underlying scent of anxiety and fear that he realized it was a small animal. His wild side urged him to give chase, that in the dark it would be easy prey, his heart raced, his ears pricked and his nose twitched.

But in that moment he wasn’t thinking about what he was experiencing, he acted on instinct rather than logic and good sense. He moved swiftly and quietly through the night pouncing on the small animal making her way from the other end of the courtyard. She might have been able to successfully flee if she hadn’t of been caught against a tangle of bushes. 

Kylo scooped her up, his body making a cage as they rolled into the grass. She was unable to escape his grip. She was facing him her own paws pressed against his face and neck. Her long ears brushing against his muzzle as he held her to him. His claws of one paw sank into her arm, the other paw wrapped fiercely around her small waist. 

It was then he remembered coming to his senses. His body unwilling to release her, his mind unwilling to devour her. He could feel her straining against him, checking for weak spots to push against and make her escape. 

“Hey! Who’s out there?” Came a shout from one of the buildings across from them. Kylo started and the small animal clawed her way to her escape. She fled having left her marks on him and in his daze, he notices that he left with a mark on her arm as well. Her blood coated his claws and he felt shame wash over him.

Rey

She woke the next morning, her arm aching from the scratches. The creature that had attacked her didn’t cut her too deep, but his claws were sharp. She could still smell him, the scent of musk with traces of pine forest and freshly fallen snow. She was always afraid of being devoured; it was ingrained in her as a child that it would be her fate as a small rabbit. Her parents had been devoured themselves when she was young, or at least that is the story she was told. Despite the progress of carnivores and herbivores living together, it was still such a cruel and uncertain world. Devourings were still a semi-regular occurrence and disappearances were even more common. 

She went about her business the next day but stayed on the lookout, if the beast from last night had been in the courtyard, he probably lived close by. It was uncommon for even carnivores to stray far from home that late at night, and if she hadn’t of lost track of time while at work, she wouldn’t have been out that late. The flower shop she had worked at had received a rather large order at the last minute. It was for the social event of the season. The Organa-Solo fundraiser, a charity event for herbivores orphaned by devourings. 

It was a program that she had benefited from herself, and she was eager to put in some of her best work. She needed to be punctual so that she could help her boss Poe load up the delivery van. Poe was a peacock and was every bit true to the species reputation. He was nice enough but egotistical at times and he could be quite loud. Despite the heat, she wore long-sleeves to cover her arms, she didn’t want to disturb others with bandages. A long life of living in the system meant that she did what she could to keep others from asking too many questions. 

As she walked the few blocks to work, she wished she could recall what the beast looked like. All she remembered was being pressed into a broad chest covered by a button up shirt, the fur that she could see and feel was dark and a bit course and the beast had a long snout. She assumed that he was some sort of Canidae, but he could have been another type of animal. 

She walked into the shop to be greeted by Poe. He was already moving boxes of vases and product into the van.

“Rey are you sure that you’re going to be able to manage this by yourself. This is a bigger venue than what you’re used to doing.” Poe often did venue set ups himself or with the help of their coworker Kaydel. She was a mongoose that was on currently on maternity leave.

“Of course. Someone has to stay here to manage the shop, plus it’s your bookkeeping day. I wouldn’t want to take you from that.” Rey kept herself from smirking. Bookkeeping day meant that Poe flirted obnoxiously with the accountant, a pheasant named Finn. It also meant that Rey was free to work without him hovering. Rey had worked at the shop long enough to know what she was doing and didn’t need Poe to hover over her.

She took the keys from Poe, got into the van, adjusted the seat and was off to the venue. She pulled up to Maz’s Inn a rather upscale hotel and day spa. It was a venue she had done once before, shortly after she first started working for Poe. She’d never done it by herself though. She took in a breath to steel her nerves before hopping out of the van to walk up to the front door. 

It was a fancy manner house with a large property that butted up against some woods. She walked past the manicured lawn and front garden. She hurried up the stairs and in through the oversized front double doors. 

She approached the large reception desk being worked by an Alpaca.

“Hi, can I help you?”

“Yes, I’m with Winged Floral Designs, I have the flowers for the Organa-Solo event.”

“Oh! Of course. I’ll have one of the bell boys take a cart out to help you bring things inside. You’ll be in the ballroom for that. Will you need any help?”

“I don’t think so. As long as everything else is already set up.”

“Yes, Ms. Organa insisted that everything be ready for your arrival.” As the Alpaca walked with her through the hall to show her where everything was, she couldn’t help but overhear the conversation coming from older Grey Wolf from across the room.

“Ben, I don’t care. You’ve missed this event for the last 8 years. You’re not missing it again. You will be here and on time.”

Rey was sensitive to sounds and the woman’s voice carried.

The Alpaca showed her into the ballroom. It was a beautiful venue and she could see why it was such a popular place, if not a bit unattainable for herself. 

“I’m Rose by the way.” Rose stuck out a paw in greeting.

“Rey.” She said taking her paw to shake it.

“Nice to meet you, please let me know if there’ll be anything else. Otherwise I’ll take you to where you can find the boys to unload your delivery.”

“Ok great.” They made small talk on their way to the front. Rey discovered that Rose had only moved here a short while ago, having been picked by Maz to help run the business.

After getting the flowers in Rey quickly started putting arrangements on tables and got a bit lost in her work.


	2. Blood Red Summer

Kylo

He did his best to cover the scratch on his face. It was deep enough that it might scar and was very close to scratching his eye. The small Rabbit that he had come across the night before was tough. He was glad for it.

However, now he needed to get ready for his mom’s charity event. As much as he wanted to be able to get out of it, his mom was right and if he was going to return to his pack, he would need to make an appearance. The spotlight that he grew up in is what drove him to be a lone wolf. However, that had stopped being the ideal o when he was losing fur from the stress of loneliness. It was with the help of another Canidae, a grey and white muscular female named Luka, that he was finally able to gradually rejoin society and not look like the fabled Chupacabra. His meetings with Luka were getting fewer and father between now that he had tentative reconnection with his family. He knew he should tell her about last night but was terrified of what she would think. He’d put it off for another time.

He adjusted the cuffs of his suit jacket before giving himself a once over in the mirror. It was the only time that he felt lucky that his features were dark enough to be indistinguishable, especially in what was to be a lowly lit ballroom.

When he arrived, he did his best to avoid his mother. He stayed to the edges of the ballroom, taking in the decorations. The flowers had a familiar quality to them, that he couldn’t quite place and he caught himself taking in their pleasant scent on more than one occasion. After circling the perimeter of the ballroom and making small talk with the required number of guests, he slipped out the backdoor to the garden. It was a cool night, but the moon was full and bright. He walked around the little statues and ponds, allowing the moonlight to wash over him and thinking back to summers of his youth where he would run and play though this same garden. 

He was about to go in when he caught her scent, the girl from last night. He turned rather abruptly to find her sitting on a bench off to the side. His eyes met her own dark ones and she looked, scared about to run from him. He needed to reassure her did she recognize him? He took in her appearance for the first time, tawny brown and small, even for being a rabbit. Her limbs were thin and athletic, her ears were long and upright.

“Hi. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, I was just going in.” He said in a rush. What was she doing out here, it may have seemed hypocritical for him to think, but didn’t she know she could get devoured? This was an event that included some of the most powerful Carnivores in the area as attendees, he knew what they were capable of. 

“Oh,” She gave a nervous laugh. “I’m fine out here, I’m just waiting for the event to finish so I can help tear down some of the decorations.” 

He felt compelled to stay near her, his instincts from last night shifting into something else. 

“Do you need help?” She looked at him skeptically for a moment, her eyes traveling down to his shoes and back to his face as if trying to decide something.

“It seems awfully convenient that a carnivore in an expensive suit would help me tear down.” He swallowed hard.

“I don’t mean to offend you or… or… imply that…” He gestured lamely between them. 

“If you’re still here, you can help.” He nodded in shock that she would let him help her.

“I’ll see you inside then.” He stated before letting himself back in.

Rey

She surprised herself by accepting his help she had always been an independent and solitary creature.

She was pretty sure he was the same wolf from last night, but he didn’t seem threatening to her. He had seemed sad as she had watched his dark figure move through the garden. His shoulders were hunched in on himself, his tail tucked close to his body, his ears in a low position. 

She watched him go in. She stayed outside, feeling out of place with all the fancy attendees. After a while she heard the sound of car doors and engines starting. She got up to go in, the rustle of leaves in a nearby bush causing her ears to prick, she tamped down her urge to freeze and quickly went inside.

She walked into the ballroom, other beasts were there removing chairs and placing decorations on tables. She went into the back hall to get the cart with her crates on it. She heard hushed whispering in the hall. The black Wolf in the tux with the older female Wolf wagging a finger at him.

“You barely said hello to anyone while you were here. I know you think I don’t see these things Benjamin, but I do.”

“I talked to people.”

“You telling Amalyn where the bathrooms are is not talking to people. I need you to work on being more sociable, I swear you have too much of your uncle in you.” She watched his hackles go up and Rey made quick work of moving her cart back into the ballroom

“Don’t bring him into this. You-” 

She bumped the cart into the frame of the door, interrupting the heated conversation.

She quickly retreated to the far end of the room, hoping to make herself scarce. Maybe he would forget he offered to help, he seemed so angry.

It took only few minutes of her clearing tables before he appeared before her.

“I’m sorry if you overheard anything that made you uncomfortable. My mom can be overbearing at times, as mothers tend to be.”

“Oh.” She replied, she wouldn’t know about how mothers can be overbearing. She looked at him rather warily before giving him directives to put the flowers in the buckets and putting the vases in the crate. She would drop the flowers off at the local orphanage tomorrow, to help add some color to the lives of those children. 

He worked quietly and gave her plenty of space to do her task. She was used to larger animals hovering over her, as if she was weak and unable to do things herself. This was honestly refreshing.

“I’m sorry.” He interrupted her thoughts, leaning down to speak to her but still respecting her personal space. “But I don’t think you told me your name.”

“My name is Rey.” He offered her his paw and greeting, which she took after a moment of hesitation. His paw was warm and fully engulfed her own. A whiff of pine and snow coming from him, he was the beast from last night.

“I’m Kylo.” He stated rather stiffly. She tilted her head and withdrew her hand, coming to her senses. 

“I heard your mother call you Benjamin.”

“Yes, well. That is my birth name, I changed it a while back. I have a hard time being associated with all of this.” He gestured awkwardly around him.

“I guess I don’t understand what that means. But nice to meet you, Kylo. I better get this out to the van and on my way home, it’s already later than I’d like to be out.”

“I can help you… To the van that is.” He ran his hand thought he fur at his neck as if he was nervous. What did he have to be nervous for? He was one of the largest and most powerful Carnivores. Rey looked around her nervously. There were still plenty animals about if something were to go wrong. Although she didn’t sense the danger in his presence as she did last night in the courtyard, she still was unsure. 

He read her hesitation and responded accordingly. “I understand if you don’t want my help but let me get one of the herbivore employees.” He quickly made his escape toward the lobby and by the time she had made it to the front he was gone and two of the bellboys from before were assisting her with loading the Van.


	3. Wolves at night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No dialogue, just internal thought processes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cause I confide in wolves at night  
> Well, have you seen my baby girl?  
> She's lonely, yeah, oh, oh, oh  
> I've got to crucify myself if I am gonna believe you  
> I've got to promise that I'll finish all the things I said  
> I'd do to begin with too  
> I've got to make my bed if I am gonna lay with you  
> 'Cause a disaster's a disaster  
> No matter what Christian language you drag it through
> 
> Wolves at Night-- Manchester Orchestra

Kylo

He’d be lying if he didn’t say that he waited in the shadows to watch her leave. It would be another to say that he didn’t have the driver drop him off down the block from her flower shop. That must have been where she was coming from the night before. He watched from a distance as she unloaded the contents of her van into the shop. He didn’t know why he felt compelled to follow her. Was it guilt, shame or fear? Fear that if he caught her so easily another animal might as well and take what was his.

He felt like a predator following a block and half behind her, staying in the shadows to make sure she got to her building safely. Something about the air told him she wasn’t safe, and he had a hard time discerning if it was because of him or not. The whole walk he felt on edge, his ears pricking uneasily and his nose twitching with every shift in the wind. As he watched her enter her building, he thought he saw a shadow creep along the hedges on the opposite side of the courtyard.

Nothing smelled out of place, it could have easily been anyone of the other inhabitants of this neighborhood. When the door clicked shut behind her, he decided that his sentry duties were done for the evening. He quickly walked to his building on the next block allowing his strides to be long and quick, shaking off the perverse feeling from earlier. When he got back inside his apartment, he noticed his paws were shaking, he huffed in deep breaths savoring the lingering scent of the small Rabbit, Rey. 

He changed out of his formal attire and put on the kettle for tea to help him settle, allowing it to steep while he tidied up the apartment. He picked up his cup, going to sit on his balcony, if he turned and leaned over the railing of the balcony a bit, he could just see Rey’s building. He allowed himself to wonder what she was doing. Would she accept him if he came up and talked to her in the street or would she walk away? It was acceptable for Herbivores to shun Carnivores in less formal settings. In Kylo’s experience it was often expected. He struck a threatening figure at 6’7 and 240 pounds and that was before considering he was mostly muscle with a strong jaw and long snout. He paws were large and despite how often he trimmed his nails they were sharp and long within a few days.

Rey had been accepting of him tonight, but she was also working, and he was unsure if she knew his and his mother’s connection to the event. He was also unsure if she recognized him from the night before. If she did, she didn’t let on. If she wanted, she could have called the authorities on him at first sight and had him carted off to some reprogramming center. If someone would have asked him last night, he would have said he should be sent away but it felt different now somehow.

So Kylo sipped his tea, enjoying the mild flavor, his hand engulfing the cup as he let himself be bathed in the moonlight. He brought his hand up to his face, tracing the fine cut in his skin. It tingled a bit still if he pressed on it. She had barely drawn blood, but she had marked him all the same. He sighed in relief when he come to a conclusion about last night. He had let her go.

Rey

She was so on edge as she walked home. She couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. She tried to settle her nerves by telling herself that it was just from being attacked the night before. She didn’t know what to think of the Wolf now that she had met him. He confused her, last night he was grabbing her up like he was going to eat her. Tonight, he was gentle and soft, helpful even. He was considerate of her feelings, he went and got her help after she hesitated in accepting his own offer. She didn’t think he was being insincere, but the two beasts did not align.

She went about her evening routine, running a bath to help calm her nerves. She made herself a cup of tea to enjoy while she soaked in the tub and read a book. She had picked a true crime novel at the library this time. She didn’t know what drew her to more violent stories. She guessed there was always the threat of death and violence hanging over her head, so if she faced it in the stories maybe it wouldn’t have to be so terrifying in real life.

She sat in the tub sipping her tea, reading about beasts that had gone mad. It wasn’t nearly long enough before the water cooled, and she got out. Drying herself off thoroughly before stepping under the blow drier for a bit before putting on her robe. She stopped to watch the moon out the window, it wasn’t as full as it was the night before, just the slightest sliver was removed. 

She couldn’t stop her thoughts from going to Kylo. He had looked so sad tonight while walking in the garden, did it have to do with her? Why would it? He didn’t know her and their interaction from last night came to nothing. She’d probably never see him again.

But if she was honest his sadness seemed to mirror her own. She hid it by being sociable when she needed to and putting a smile on her face even when she didn’t feel it. His mother had called him a lone wolf. She didn’t know enough about Canidae to understand fully what that meant, except that they were supposed to be sociable, even the oldest of lines like Wolves. 

She headed to bed then, crawling into the fresh sheets she changed this morning. Her hand wandered over the healing cuts. They weren’t terribly deep, nothing a little antiseptic and bandages wouldn’t fix, but something about their presence comforted her. She had survived.


	4. Bukowski

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Start drinking cups of Earl Grey  
> Then I guess maybe one day.  
> I'll be yours forever  
> I'm the best book you'll never read  
> You make me feel like Jimmy Dean  
> You make me feel like Morrissey  
> When you undress from your best dress.  
> To keep warm, I'll bring a sweater  
> You can have mine, it looks better  
> And honestly, you can take it home.
> 
> Bukowski- Moose Blood

Ch 3

The next week had found Kylo out of the house more times than he had the whole previous month. Since he worked remotely doing IT work, he decided to take his laptop to a coffee shop a few blocks away. He would actually work, but if he went in the mornings, he found that he could watch Rey water the flowers in front of the shop in the mornings. So, it became his new morning routine.

So, when Saturday came, he grabbed a book to read at the coffee shop, since his work week was done. He would sit by the window, ignore customers and other passersby and watch for Rey. He found that she moved rather gracefully, was cheery with everyone that she interacted with and tended to her plants with utmost care. He had been at the coffee shop for about an hour when he decided to leave.

As he walked out, he nearly walked right into another beast.

“Ah, Kylo. Good to see you.”

Ben shook his head. He felt his body tense in recognition but schooled his features. Hux was a Red Fox with a thirst for animal blood. 

“Oh, Hux. What are you doing this side of town?”

“Oh, just a bit of shopping, there’s some lovely little shops in the area.” Hux pointedly looked over his shoulder at the flower shop and Kylo felt instantly sick. Kylo knew what Hux was capable of and knew who he worked for.

It was then movement caught Kylo’s eye, Rey had come out with a box of supplies and set them on the little work bench in the little alleyway. 

“Well, well. What a delectable little rabbit. Don’t you think? Anyways do tell your mother I had a lovely time at her little event. Good running into you.” Hux threw Kylo a smirk and walked off away from the shop.

Kylo just stood there, trying to collect himself. When he looked up Rey was walking in his direction. She did not look happy.

Rey

She knew the Wolf had been going to the coffee shop across the street, had seen him look away when he thought she might look at him. She wasn’t one to make a scene in someone else’s establishment, but it was fair game when the dufus was just standing out on the street like that. 

She was mad enough that she barely remembered looking both ways before crossing.

She stepped into his space and pressed her finger into his chest.

“Why are you following me?”

“What?”

Kylo immediately backed up giving her space and he crouched down to be on her eye level. This bewildered her and only served to ramp up her temper.

His eyes were wide, and his mouth was open in a surprise but not showing teeth.

“You’ve been coming to this shop all week, it’s a bit suspicious since I’d never seen you before last weekend.”

“Oh, uhhh…. I didn’t know you noticed.” People were staring at them while they walked past, Kylo looked nervous.

“Look if you’re going to sit around watching me the least you can do is come help me with this. I could use someone to help lug around the dirt since Poe is minding the counter.”

Kylo nodded in agreement following her back to the shop. He looked a bit bewildered at her request but didn’t put up a fuss.

She took him to the back of the alley and pointed to the bags of dirt she wanted lifted. They were at least 50 pounds each, so together they easily were equal to her weight.

“I need two of those carried to the front.” It was a simple enough task for him, although she was a bit impressed when he picked them both up so easily. She found herself staring at him.

“Where do you want me to set them?” She shook herself out of her reverie and walked with him back to the front. He just seemed so powerful.

“Under the table is fine.” Rey pointed at the space she wanted them to go.

“Uhm… Rey?”

She tilted her head, her ears swaying off to the side, and nodded for him to continue. He crouched low again and rolled up his sleeves. 

“I’m sorry about this week. I just… I can’t explain it. I wanted to know you were ok.”

She squinted at him then as if trying to see if he was telling the truth.

“Look I know I’m a Rabbit and all but I’m not helpless you know.”

“I know. I just had this feeling like something wasn’t right and I just wanted to know you’re ok. But I’ll quit bothering you if that’s what you want.”

She considered him a moment and then started with her work of repotting some of the plants. He moved to leave and something in Rey didn’t want that.

“You can stay and help me repot these. If you want.” He nodded seemingly taken aback.

They worked quietly for a while. Rey could tell he had never done this kind of work before. He had a lot of questions about what they were doing and its purpose. He seemed genuinely interested and so she didn’t mind.

They had been working for a while when Poe stepped out to the alley.

“Ben.” She watched the interaction between the two men, unsure of how they would know each other. 

“Oh, Poe… I didn’t know you worked here.” She watched as Kylo brushed the dirt off of his hands and stood, wiping the sweat off of his brow. She noticed that he still hunched a bit so as not to stand over Poe. 

“It’s my shop actually.” He looked suspiciously between Rey and Kylo. “I didn’t know you knew Rey.”

“Oh, not very well. We just met when she set up the flowers for my mom’s event.” Poe nodded tersely. “I was getting coffee across the street and she invited me in a bit of a gardening lesson.” Rey was a bit taken aback at how swiftly he could make the truths a bit more palatable. They weren’t lies but they were softer versions than reality. She didn’t know how trustworthy he was if this came so easily to him, but she was grateful all the same that he didn’t tell her boss that she’d been rude to him.

“Well, Rey we’re just about to close, you can stay if you’re almost done.”

“I am, we’re just finishing up here.” Rey put the planters in a little box and gestured for Kylo to take them while she took the empty pots and the little tools in another box. 

“Well, Kylo tell your mom I said hello and that I hope she enjoyed Rey’s work last week.” Poe was standing with his hands on his hips and his chest a bit puffed out.

“I will. And she did,” Kylo met Rey’s eyes then as if to say it was true, “but I’ll have her call you so she can tell you what she thought.” Kylo stood a little up a bit taller.

Rey was tired of the male posturing and started to walk toward the back of the alley storing her box in the little side entrance. She walked out of the doorway to be greeted by Kylo with his box of freshly repotted plants.

Rey had him follow her to the little greenhouse, it was maybe the size of a van with a table of plants in the middle and shelves of plants on the side. Kylo looked around the little enclosure in awe.

“These are beautiful.” He was looking at flowers that were starting to bud and bloom.

Rey looked up at him then, noticing a smudge of dirt on his muzzle, a brown smear on his otherwise black fur.

“Thank you. Come here though, you have dirt on your nose.” He leaned down and she brushed the dirt from his face. Her fingers brushed at a thin scratch and he startled causing her to flinch away. She had no idea that she had marked him, too.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered, touching his face where her hand had just been.

She shrugged it off, unsure of herself suddenly. She didn’t have time to think on that now.

“Well let me go grab my bag and then you can walk me home.” She didn’t know what compelled her to do that. Inviting a Carnivore to walk you home as a Herbivore was an invitation for trouble.

Kylo nodded and followed her into the back of the shop, Rey locking doors as she went. It was mid afternoon and her stomach rumbled as they were leaving the shop.

Kylo cocked his head at her with a slight smile to his face.

“Sorry, breakfast was a long time ago.”

“Did you want to get something to eat? There’s a food truck down the street, my treat?”

She looked at him, again looking for motives.

“Okay.” 

He seemed to perk up at that.

They walked to the food truck. Kylo ordered a chickpea and yam burrito. Rey got an alfalfa wrap. 

“Do you want me to carry your bag? It looks heavy.” Kylo offered her. 

“No thanks, I have it. Do you live in this neighborhood?”

His shoulders hunched a bit.

“I do, in a building at the corner of the big courtyard.”

“Hm, you’re only a block away from me.” Something told her that he already knew that.

“Have you been following home?” She asked quietly. It would make sense the feeling of being watched she had experienced all week.

He hesitated and eyed her nervously before answering.

“Only the night of the party. It was so late, and I wanted to make sure you got home okay.”

She felt strange, she had felt like she was being watched that night, but she that feeling hadn’t gone away all week. Kylo was strange but he didn’t come off smarmy like he was trying to harm or manipulate her. He must have read the look of worry on her face.

“Has someone been bothering you?”

“No, I’ve just felt strange the last week. But you don’t bother me… Maybe you could walk with me sometime?”

He seemed surprised by her proposition.

“Ok, I’ll do it.”

“Good. I have off on Mondays, but I work 7 to 4 during the week.”

“I’ll meet you out here at 6:45 on Tuesday then.” He said eagerly.

They had made it to in front of her building.

“That isn’t too early for you?”

“No, I don’t usually sleep much. I’m up pretty early.”

“Ok then.” She turned to go to her door.

“Hey, Rey?”

She turned to see him hold out a card.

“That has my number on it, in case you ever need it.”

She read the card. It had his name Kylo Ren, his number and his email.

She put it in her bag, and he watched her as she went into her building. He turned to walk away.

“Kylo?” He stopped and turned, his eyes wide and attentive. “Thank you for today.”

He smiled, gave a small nod and went on his way.


	5. Your heart is an empty room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Home's face: how it ages when you're away  
> Spring blooms and you find the love that's true  
> But you don't know what now to do  
> Cause the chase is all you know  
> And she stopped running months ago  
> And all you see is where else you could be  
> When you're at home  
> Out on the street are so many possibilities  
> To not be alone  
> The flames and smoke climbed out of every window  
> And disappeared with everything that you held dear  
> And you shed not a single tear for the things that you didn't need  
> Cause you knew you were finally free
> 
> Your heart is an empty room -- Death Cab for Cutie

Rey

The rest of the day and weekend passed rather swiftly for Rey. She ran errands and cleaned her apartment. She couldn’t help but think about Kylo again and was surprisingly eager for Tuesday. She didn’t know what possessed her to have him walk with her to her work but something about his presence eased her. He didn’t seem at all capable of being the Beast who had attacked her that night. 

She knew what she asked of him was a bit unorthodox. It was uncommon still for Herbivores and Carnivores to interact on a social level, sure they would work for the same employer, join the same groups, go to the same places and even live in the same apartment buildings but Herbivores were still weary of the motives of the Carnivores at large.

Rey had never had a friend who sas a Carnivore, they often treated her as if she was a pitiful and fragile. Kylo did not and she didn’t know what compelled him to treat her as if she mattered. He could have just as easily ignored her the night the fundraiser or have devoured her since then. 

So, when Tuesday came, she was downstairs promptly at 6:45 and she was surprised to see Kylo already waiting for her. He was dressed comfortably in jeans and a Henley with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder. 

“Are you going to work today, too?” She asked nodding toward his bag.

“Uh, yeah. I work remotely actually, so I thought I’d work in the coffee shop for a bit this morning.”

“What do you do?”

“I work in IT, I contract privately now. Usually to companies that are too small to have a full-time person.”

“You must see a lot of interesting things.”

“Not really. But I’m good at it and it doesn’t require me to be around others too much.”

“You don’t like being around others?”

“Not really. I’ve never been terribly social.” She considered him for a moment, taking in that information and moving on to other things.

“So, what do you do for fun?” He looked surprised by her question.

“I read a lot and I do Calligraphy. What about you?”

“I actually like plants in my free time, too. I also volunteer at the orphanage sometimes.”

“That’s kind of you.” 

“Not really. I grew up in places like that, so I feel like I have to pay it back in some way.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Why? It isn’t your fault.” 

“In my experience others are often distrusting of me because I’m a large Carnivore, but they aren’t wrong to feel that way. I know what others are capable of and it sickens me.”

She didn’t quite know how to respond to that as they had made it to the front door of her work.

“Well… Thank you for this morning. When would you like to do this again?” Rey asked, changing the conversation abruptly.

“Oh, I was planning on being here at 4… if you still wanted that is.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and shifted on his feet.

“Oh, ok. I’ll see you then.” She couldn’t help but give him a full beaming smile before walking into work.

When she walked into the store Poe was standing behind the counter looking owlish.

“Since when did you start being friends with Ben Solo.”

“Who?” She blinked and looked at the door to see Kylo walking into the coffee shop across the street.

“Oh, you mean Kylo?” She thought about it, when did they become friends?

“Saturday, I guess.” She shrugged and began tending to the indoor plants.

“He’s dangerous you know.”

“Because I’m a small animal and he’s a wolf?” She didn’t bother stopping what she was doing.

“Not only that but do you know what he did?”

“What did he do?”

“He attacked his uncle, nearly killed him.” This gave Rey pause but she didn’t get defensive or reactive to what Poe was saying.

“Well, I get to decide the company I keep. He’s never acted poorly toward me.” Not since that first night, but he’s seemingly done everything in his power to rectify that.

“What if he’s tricking you?”

“Tricking me?”

“To devour you.”

“He’s more than double my size Poe, he doesn’t need to be cunning. I think if he really wanted to devour me, he could have by now.” And she realized that was her truth. He could have used his brute size and strength to get what he wanted from her. Maybe he was trying to be sociable with her, not be the lone wolf as his mother had called him. She filed that away, too. Something to ask him eventually. 

Kylo

Kylo worked the morning at the coffee shop and then walked back to his apartment for lunch and to finish the project he was working on. He had thought about Rey periodically through out the day. He thought about how she had brushed the dirt from his face on Saturday, it startled him to have her so close to him like that and touching the scratch she had left him with. He should probably talk to her about that if they were to continue being friends. 

He knew Poe well enough to know that he would talk to Rey about Kylo’s past. He didn’t know how Rey would take it, would she understand, would she not want to see him ever again? He had so much to discuss with her if they were going to be friends and he didn’t know where to begin. He enjoyed being in her presence and would respect any boundary that she set with him. But he couldn’t help but worry, especially since she felt like she had been watched all week and that Hux was sniffing around the flower shop.

He had an uneasy feeling that the organization had targeted Rey. If she grew up in the orphanage, she didn’t have family, and if she didn’t have family it wouldn’t be a farfetched for her to be socially isolated. If that were true she would make a good target for devouring. 

His hackles raised at the idea of Hux stalking around his territory, trying to take Rey. _His Rey_. He was momentarily alarmed by the possessiveness of his own thoughts but didn’t push them away. He breathed in deeply and let them settle. He may need to be a bit possessive if his suspicions were correct.

At around 330 Kylo finished up his work and headed back to the flower shop. He realized that he got there a bit early so stayed outside to look at the flowers in the front of the shop. They were bright and colorful, a nice splash of color to the brick building and spring day.

“Kylo, you’re here a few minutes early.” He looked up to see Rey pop her head out the door. “I have a few things in the back to clean up and then I’ll be ready to go.”

“Oh, I’m in no rush. Take your time.” Kylo said and he watched Rey go back inside. Kylo’s attention returned to examining the flowers, taking note of each scent.

He heard the door again and looked up expecting Rey. 

“That was qui-“

“Why are you here?” Poe asked him, his face stern.

“I came to walk Rey home.”

“Rey is quite capable of walking home by herself.”

“I know, I’ve seen her do it.” Kylo stated, trying to sound bored, now examining Poe closely. This seemed to rile Poe up further.

“If she ends up hurt or devoured, I’ll know it was you.” Kylo took a calming breath, taking in the lingering scent of Rey to calm himself.

“You haven’t seemed to be overly worried about Rey in the past. You’ve had no problem letting her walk home in the dark alone, despite having a van that you can drive her yourself or let her borrow.” Kylo stated. “Have you noticed Hux nosing around the neighborhood?” This seemed to get Poe’s attention.

“He was here the other day buying flowers.” Poe shifted on his feet nervously

Kylo rolled his eyes his claws clenching into fists.

“He was here. Sniffing around your shop and you weren’t the least bit concerned? That’s pretty foolish of you, if I were you, I’d pay attention to that. If he’s in this neighborhood you know he’s looking for new victims to take the heat off them someplace else.” Kylo let out in a low growl of frustration. He needed to control himself because he was drawing attention of passerby.

“Well, I wouldn’t be as knowledgeable about that as much as you I guess.”

Kylo snorted. “You are right about that, but that isn’t something to be proud of.”

That shut Poe up and Kylo was satisfied. 

“You ready?” Rey appeared from behind Kylo and he nodded his answer.

“Sure.”

“Bye, Poe see you tomorrow.” Poe just nodded and went back into the shop.

“You guys seemed pretty serious.”

“Yeah, we have history I guess.” Kylo shrugged it off.

“Poe seemed to imply as much. Is it bad? The history?”

Kylo thought for a moment unsure of how to answer it. “Not really. We went to school together; he knows my family fairly well and because of that he took their side during our falling out.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad if you talk to them now.”

“It was a lot of misunderstandings and differing opinions about how changes should be made in this world.”

“What kind of changes?”

“How to handle the devourings… My mom thinks throwing money at the problem will solve it, rather than disrupting the supply and demand chain.”

“You know I benefited from program’s like your mothers.” She sounded a bit defensive.

“I’m not saying that you shouldn’t fund that programs but the whole system needs to be changed. The organizations that take people need to be stopped and the people in power that turn the other way need to be removed.”

“How do you do that?”

Kylo shrugged. He didn’t know how to answer her.

“That may be a conversation for a different time.” He couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched, his nose twitching for any smells that might give him clues.

“What are you doing?” 

“Hm? Oh… Thinking I guess… Hey Rey? Have you seen any Foxes around lately?”

Her brow wrinkled in thought.

“Yeah, there was one at the shop on Saturday I think.”

“Promise me something… If you see him you call me, text me… get away from him as fast as you can.”

“Why? What is this about?”

“He’s part of an organization that’s responsible for some of the devouring and disappearances.”

“How do you know that?” He could smell a wave of anxiety roll off of her.

“We were friends in school, Poe knew him too. But we’re not friends anymore, haven’t been for a very long time.” Kylo made sure to look her in the eye so she could hopefully see that he wasn’t like Hux.

“Ok, if I come across him again, I’ll let you know.” 

Kylo nodded in relief. Before he knew it, they were at her door. They made their goodbyes and he made his assurances that he would be there in the morning.

Rey

She was left a little confused. The growling she had heard from Kylo didn’t match with the urgent concern that came with talking about her safety. It made her fur stand up, thinking that Kylo had reason to be so concerned. What if he was right about this Fox? What if there was a very good reason, she felt like she was being watched last week?

It was like Kylo was two beasts, one fierce and one gentle, and somehow, they converged into one.

Rey went about her afternoon routine. She cleaned, she ate, she read, and she tended to her own plants. She had a little kitchen garden at her window with a few herbs she commonly used. She also had a few succulents, they weren’t hard to care for but were hearty and reminded her of something she couldn’t quite name.

She remembered her parents but only vaguely. They were dips imprinted in the bed and lavender oil after a nightmare, the smell of eucalyptus and a hand on the forehead when she was sick. She remembered having carrot cake for a birthday in a pink dress. She couldn’t remember their names let alone what they looked like.

She had too many memories of the orphanage. Being bullied because of her ears, being pushed in the dirt after she got a new outfit, and loneliness that was a constant companion. It was hard to build trusting relationships with those who had every reason not to trust others. 

As she went to sleep her last thoughts were of Kylo and how he so gently helped her transfer those plants on Saturday.

Kylo

When he got back to his apartment he went back to work. Because of his skill in his trade he was always finding little bits of information about the organization. He kept tabs on known members and did is best to supply information to those who could cause disruption. It was partly why his relationship with his family was so strained. When he was younger, he would hack into systems to gain information and to cause problems in programs. His mother was disturbed by the potential legality and image issues, his father would just smirk rather slyly at him, and his uncle would tell him to learn how to be impartial. It was why he left his family, too much pressure to be something he wasn’t or to be a liar and hide himself away. 

His friendship with Hux in school was incidental, they were both Canidae and often in the same groups and dorms. He noticed that Hux was a bit of a bully and often manipulative, but his shy nature kept him from intervening. Hux seemed to take this as approval for his behaviors, which seemed to embolden him, until one day he took it too far. Hux had made a threat toward a smaller herbivore girl. She was small often alone and Kylo stepped in a they fought. Kylo got expelled for attacking the smaller Carnivore and his parents sent him to a different school for his senior year. His mother chastised him for not getting an adult to deal with the situation, while his dad shrugged it off and patted him on the shoulder when his mom wasn’t looking. His uncle told him it was the way of things and he should just accept it.

It was then that he decided on becoming the lone wolf by dismissing his family and continuing to use the internet to dismantle and disrupt underground meat supply. He had lived like that successfully for a few years, until he started losing fur, and developing nervous habits. He had a contact that helped him to see that reconnecting was what he needed and got him in touch with his worker Luka.

Luka was able to help him get back into society in a way, help him find gainful employment rather than living off of his trust fund and allowed him to meet basic needs like touch and play. They were set to meet later in the week, Kylo didn’t know what Luka’s opinion on his befriending an Herbivore would be, but knew he needed to bring it up. 

He realized it was late into the night when he stopped working. He stretched having spent the night hunched over his computer and immediately crawled into bed. Wanting to be at his most alert for Rey.


	6. Tattooed Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But I have to learn that this love will never be convenient  
> I'm gonna have to learn that this love will never be convenient  
> It's not like a movie when we kiss; there is no music when we kiss  
> And I'm gonna have to learn that this love will never be convenient
> 
> Tattooed Tears- The Front Bottoms

The week went rather smoothly. Kylo would walk Rey to work in the morning, go work for a bit and then go home for lunch. It was a nice routine and it was nice to be out of the house sometimes. He would come back in the afternoon, occasionally he would get asked to help her carry something large or get something higher up than her reach, but he was more than ok with that. 

When Friday morning rolled around, he had yet to talk to her about their first meeting, but knew he had to. He was meeting with Luka at the coffee shop and knew he couldn’t tell Luka without talking to Rey first. If she rejected him, his friendship with her wouldn’t matter and he could keep it to himself. 

So that morning he found himself downstairs a bit earlier than usual and pacing nervously. She appeared promptly at the time she always did.

“Good morning, Kylo.” She considered him a moment before starting in the direction of her work. “You seem nervous today, what’s wrong?”

“I just… I need to talk to you about something.” He felt his hands shaking with nerves.

“Oh? What’s that?”

“The night before the fundraiser.” He paused terrified to continue. “I… I… I attacked you.” He let out a whoosh of air and then found himself holding his breath waiting for a response from her.

“I know.” Rey stated simply.

“You knew?” He asked bewildered.

“Well, I assumed anyways. It’s not like there are many beasts like you, and you smell… well like you.” She seemed embarrassed by her last statement, like she had taken it too far. It wasn’t quite polite to talk about scents with mere acquaintances but Kylo didn’t feel like it was unreasonable given the circumstances. 

He considered asking her what he smelled like but stopped himself, he was awkward enough sometimes he didn’t need to make it worse.

“But… why?” He continued rather ineloquently.

“Why what?”

He gestured haplessly between them.

“Oh. I don’t know.” Rey shrugged, her bag shifting a bit on her shoulder. “You were helpful the night of the fundraiser without being pushy. Plus, if you really wanted to devour me you wouldn’t have needed to befriend me. You’re quite large, you don’t need to earn my trust in order to overtake me.”

“You’ve thought about that?”

She looked up at him moment. 

“You don’t grow up in an orphanage and then not think about that with every carnivore you come across. You think to yourself can they easily overpower me? Or do they have to be more cunning than that?” She seemed to shrug that off and a silence grew between them.

“I’m sorry that you have to live like that.”

“It’s just part of life for us, Kylo. It isn’t your fault.” They walked a little further.

“We should probably talk about something else for a bit. I don’t want to leave you on a bad note.” He said, he could already feel himself getting too much in his head.

“I’m meeting with one of my friends today.” He told her. 

“Yeah, so you’re not a lone wolf after all huh?” A small smirk played at her lips and he smiled.

“Well, they’re not really a friend so much as a support beast, they helped me get back in the world after my time being a lone wolf.”

“You must like them.” There was a tone to her voice that he couldn’t quite decipher.

“Hmm as a friend yes. It took me a while to get used to her. She was always so enthusiastic and often in my physical space, which was honestly needed. But she’s always been supportive. I’m going to tell her about you today. If that’s ok?”

“What is there to say about me?” 

“Just that we’re friends,” he lowered his gaze in embarrassment, “I’ll tell her about me attacking you too, but mostly that I actually have a friend that’s of my choosing.” 

She looked at him sadly.

“You sound like that’s never happened before.”

“It hasn’t.” He said, a bit ashamed of himself. All his friends had existed because of common interests, family connections and proximity. “Until now, anyways.”

She smiled up at him fondly.

“Well, I hope you have a nice meeting with your support beast, and I’ll see you later.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

\--

Rey went about her morning she tended to the indoor plants. She changed up the seasonal displays and restocked some of the gardening implements. She made her way to tend to the outdoor plants. Poe had been giving her the cold shoulder all week, so she planned on spending the rest of the day outside unless they got too busy. 

Her eyes were drawn to movement across the street when she saw a grey and white Pit Bull bump into Kylo’s chest. At first, she was alarmed until she realized it was a greeting, she had often seen in other Canidae. It just seemed so intimate she couldn’t help but be jealous of someone sharing such a strong bond with him. Kylo must have noticed her watching because he gave a shy little wave to which the Canidae, turned her gaze in Rey’s direction, cocking her head in curiosity before turning back to Kylo. She looked away but did notice that the two disappeared back into the coffee shop.

She had too much time to think today. She knew it was irrational for her to be jealous. Kylo and her were different species and it was still frowned upon for intraspecies dating let alone the fact that Kylo was a large Carnivore and she was a small Herbivore. It was taboo that they were friends at this point, and given Poe’s reaction she wasn’t sure how strangers would take it. 

As she worked, she got more worked up and more frustrated. That was until she dropped a pot, the soil and plant spilled out onto the concrete.

This seemed to tip her over the edge, and she felt tears well up in her eyes. She ruined everything. She gently picked up the plant, cradling it so no more of the stems were damaged.

“Rey?” She was so wrapped up in thought that she startled when Kylo came up behind her. She spun and would have dropped the plant again only Kylo put his hands around hers to steady it.

“You sm… seem upset.” He looked at her concerned, but his nose twitched giving away that he could scent her emotions. 

She took the plant and set it gently on the table.

“It’s nothing Kylo really. Is it time for you to be here already?” It didn’t seem like it had been that long.

“No… I’ve been on the coffee shop all day. I just.. I sensed you were upset and wanted to check on you… Do you need help?” 

“No, don’t pull yourself away from your friend for me.” He tilted his head at her.

“But you’re my friend.”

“I meant the woman you met across the street.”

“Oh, that’s Luka. She left hours ago.” He paused as if unsure if he should continue. “We’re friendly I guess, but our meetings are more like appointments to help keep me balanced than anything else.” She felt naked under his gaze as if he was trying to figure something out. 

“I’m fine Kylo, really.” He looked at her sadly.

“I can stay and hang out…” He stilled, then turned swiftly behind him, hackles raised as if sensing a threat.

“What’s wrong?” She watched as he raised his nose to the air. 

He shook his head and turned to her. 

“Are you going to be out here much longer?” 

“Probably until I close yes.”

He nodded, considering something his lips moving in a certain way.

“I think I’m going to hang around for a bit. I’ll give you your space if you want it… Something just isn’t right.” Rey could feel her heart race, she sensed it too. 

“Ok.” She nodded at him. She felt his eyes drag over her once more before he turned and left the ally. 

She went back to work although hesitantly. She felt safe with Kylo watching over her. 

She finished repotting her plants and started to clear up her supplies and her work area. She looked up to see a shadow slink down the ally. 

She turned and saw it, the Red Fox Kylo had warned her about.

“Hello, there.” The beast said to her.

“Hello.” She felt her pulse race in her throat and was torn between freezing and running.

“I was wondering if you could help me.” Something about his tone didn’t match his demeanor. She wanted to text Kylo, but her phone was in the shop.

“Oh? With what?”

“I’m looking for something special. Something small. Maybe you could help me?” His words were smooth and made her fur raise on its end.

“You’ll have to be more specific.” She said, braver than she felt. He had managed to corner her against her table. 

The beast came closer to her. He bared his fangs to her, and she flinched back, she waited for her life to end. It was then that a noise sounded from down the ally. A low growl. The Fox looked up at the noise and smirked maliciously before turning and fleeing out the other end of the alley

She was shaking violently by the time Kylo reached her. He stopped and kneeled in front of her, looking her over and running his hands down her arms to check she was unscathed. His touch was gentle, and she stilled under his hands almost instinctively, due to his carnivore nature. 

“Let’s get you inside.” She couldn’t move still frozen, so he lifted her. He cradled her gently to his chest and walked her through the back door of the shop so as not to be seen by others.

He set her down on the bench next to the coat rack.

“I’m going to talk to Poe. I’ll be back.”

She watched him take purposeful steps to the front of the store and heard the tones between the two men. 

She heard Poe’s voice sounding angry and then more shouting between the two of them.

“Maybe they would find her less interesting if you would quit following her around like a lovesick puppy.” She watched as Kylo looked stricken by that comment and then scowled darkly at the Peacock’s back. 

“If you think they weren’t following her before you’re very naïve.” 

“Why would they still target her then? You’re a well-connected large Carnivore who has connections in the world.” Poe said as he spun and puffed himself up to Kylo, as if Kylo was a threat.

Kylo’s scowl slid off of his face into a look of hurt.

“You’re right, it’s personal now.” He turned to look at Rey rather sadly. 

“Well, how are you going to protect her now?” Poe asked him, venom dripping in his voice.

Kylo blinked owlishly.

“The same I’ve been doing. I chased Hux off today, I can do it again.” Kylo said determinedly.

“You’ll put all of us in danger if you keep that up. You’re going to have to ask your family for help and hide her away.” Poe pressed a finger into Kylo’s chest as if to drive his point home. She watched as Kylo’s hands balled into fists and he breathed heavily as if fighting some of his baser urges. 

“This is Rey’s life. It isn’t for us to decide.” Kylo seethed, chest heaving.

Poe looked at them piteously then.

“Then you’re going to have to inform her fully of her choices.”

“You think I wouldn’t?”

“I know you can be secretive so forgive me if I don’t trust you.” Poe turned to Rey then. “Rey, I need you to take some time off work. This isn’t a discussion. It puts a target on my back to have you here.”

Rey didn’t know how to feel. She was still in shock and felt like she wasn’t connected to her body. 

“What? But Poe! I can’t… I can’t afford to stay where I am without this job.”

“I can’t help that Rey. I’ll give you what you’ve earned in vacation money but… I can’t do anything more than that.” She could scent the anger pouring off Kylo it was so strong, smelling of burnt pine needles. 

“How can you do that to her?” Kylo growled low, his lips forming a snarl.

“It’s self-preservation Kylo. Not all of us are as well connected as you. When the organization comes around it’s every beast for itself.” Poe looked her in the eye. “I’m sorry, Rey. You can pick up your last check on Monday.” Then walked to the front of the store.

Kylo looked torn between going after Poe and staying with her. After a moment he kneeled in front of her and took her hand in his, to say his dwarfed hers was an understatement but it soothed her still. 

“Do you feel like you can walk?” Kylo asked her.

“I think so?” She looked up at him, she knew she was lying but couldn’t bear to be weak. 

“I’ll call us a car.” 

“But won’t that be suspicious?” He tilted his head at her, indicating for her to continue. “It’s just… it’s frowned upon.”

“It’s a private service, they won’t say anything so long as I’m paying, and I am less worried about my reputation than I am about you.”

A car arrived for them a short time later. Kylo helped her into the car and slid in behind her. She noticed that he kept curled in on himself, trying to be small and non-threatening. A ridiculous notion when she thought about it. She assumed he did it because the driver kept peeking into rearview to watch them. 

When they got to Rey’s building Kylo signed the slip and helped her out of the car. 

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Rey looked up to her building then back at Kylo. 

“Maybe we should meet tomorrow. I’m a bit overwhelmed and I know I’m not thinking clearly.”

“I’ll call you when I get home. I don’t feel good leaving you alone.”

She nodded unsure of what to say to that. 

“I’ll talk to you soon.” She said as she walked away and up the steps to her building.

When she got to her apartment, she looked out her window and saw that Kylo was still out front. When he noticed her, he gave a small wave and walked toward his building. She calmed but wasn’t able to fall asleep until the sun was starting to come up. 


End file.
